Canandaigua school officials concerned about aging athletic fields

WHAT Canandaigua Board of Education Special Meeting WHEN Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5 p.m. WHERE Canandaigua Academy, 435 East St., Large Group Instruction room (Academy LGI) DE...

» Read more

X

If you go

WHAT Canandaigua Board of Education Special Meeting WHEN Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5 p.m. WHERE Canandaigua Academy, 435 East St., Large Group Instruction room (Academy LGI) DETAILS Board discussion of athletic fields, then tour of outdoor athletic facilities. The public is invited.

By Julie Sherwood

jsherwood@messengerpostmedia.com

CANANDAIGUA ó Canandaigua City School District voters have twice turned down upgrades to outdoor athletic facilities in recent years, most recently rejecting a $9.9 million proposal in 2011 that included $1.4 million in renovations to Evans Field.

But that doesn't mean the trouble with the condition of the fields has abated, administrators say.

On Wednesday, the school board will revisit the issue that involves the question of whether to install artificial turf, among other concerns to upgrade facilities. A board discussion begins at 5 p.m., followed by a tour of the fields led by Schools Superintendent Lynne Erdle and Athletic Director Jim Simmons.

"Board members will be able to ask questions, and get a good idea themselves of what condition the facilities are in," said school spokesman Andy Thomas.

The public is invited to attend the meeting and take the tour. Thomas said the walk-through is the first step in the process and "

there will be many opportunities for residents to get a chance to deliver their input to the Board before any concepts are floated."

Thomas said that after the tour, the board will be joined by the district architects, SEI Design Group of Rochester, and district financial consultant, Bernie Donegan, who can answer questions.

In explaining the need for the special meeting and tour, Thomas said board members want to see first-hand the condition of the outdoor athletic facilities. While the community has turned down improvements, troubles with the fields havenít gone away, he said.

One example is the condition of the track.

"We can't hold any kind of Sectional meets," said Thomas. "The track is right at the end of its life, and there's a concern about not being able to have any kind of track meet after this winter."

If you go

WHAT Canandaigua Board of Education Special Meeting WHEN Wednesday, Oct. 30, 5 p.m. WHERE Canandaigua Academy, 435 East St., Large Group Instruction room (Academy LGI) DETAILS Board discussion of athletic fields, then tour of outdoor athletic facilities. The public is invited.